The Edge
by blackvelvet97
Summary: Set just after Hal has come out of "rehab," showing Hal's inner troubles over drinking blood. Lord Harry resurfaces and Alex is enthralled. Rated T for a reason. Definite Alex/Hal in the later chapters.
1. Hal

_Hiya People, still relatively new at this but I thought I'd give it another go. This will start off as a short one-shot but if people like it then I might continue it on!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Being Human or the Characters, (...as much as I'd like to XD)_

Hal was struggling.

His hand trembled as he reached for the next domino, he forced himself to take another breath, another agonising second passed without the key to his very existence.

_NO! _

He corrected himself mentally, blood was irrelevant, inconsequential, it would no longer plague his every waking thought. He just needed to finish the next task. Routine stays the beast. Carefully he lowered the domino onto the wooden table. He could do this. One by one, this simplistic routine would see him through the skull-crushing craving, the so very heart-wrenching need for humanity's biggest resource to his kind. Blessed routine, structure and order and...

His unsteady fingers shook and the domino dropped. The effect was catastrophic, an hour of his time setting them up, an hour carefully placing these precious markers of his battle against the inner tormentor, of all he worked towards, lay scattered on the wooden table. His breathing became ragged and his chest fluttered.

"Order, no, I..I can fix this. I can fix this" he dragged in another rough breath, the calm demeanour utterly lost. His facade was gone and the despair almost overwhelmed reason. He would not become that man again, he couldn't allow him to takeover or else it would all be for nothing. All those people he had slaughtered. The pain he had caused...would cause if control slipped. The endless cycle would just continue. He was always waiting in the wings, ready to sneak out and ruin everything. His life ran in acts; courteous, caring Hal was only one half of the show.

Blood changed him, its alluring throb in the vein made him feel invincible. Hal could feel the life flowing through their feeble bodies, why should they keep it all to themselves? Selfish, ignorant creatures. If he could remember proper etiquette and spoken language during the most frenzied feasts of ecstasy then why, dear lord, could this generation not even pronounce their t's properly. They were simply asking for it, it would be a crime to allow these deluded simpletons to persist living worthless lives. The uneducated masses were a godless people, brought up without the dread of what the Holy one could do.

_I'll give them something to fear. _

Visions of screaming and blood filled his mind, merely shadows of the past or predictions of his future.

"Oh God, Oh God" the words caught in his throat. He frantically piled the dominoes into a symmetrical pile in the centre of the table. Rows of four. Four is a nice number, even and ordered. He closed his eyes and scrunched his hands into fists. Ordered. It's all okay, everything is ordered now. With order comes control. He sucked in another forced breath and sighed. He was fine. He could do this. Alex and Tom would come home and Hal would be normal. It will pass momentarily. He was fine. Hal opened his eyes wondering why the chair was shaking, before realising it wasn't the chair that had a tremor. His body was extraordinarily tense and was moving on its own accord. He just needed a little, a drop would do, just enough to calm his nerves.

He stood up from his chair and turned towards the door. He would just climb the stairs and find the black bottle that Mr Rook had given him. Just a drop to give him the strength to fight the monster inside. He turned to find Alex leaning against the doorframe. Hal's eyes widened slightly and he immediately moved to clear away the dominoes.

"Alex...you know you could have knocked. Despite being a vampire I cannot hear you every time you rent-a-ghost into the room. I could have been indecent or in a private discussion with Tom..." He began, stumbling slightly over the words in his rush to explain away the situation.

"Hal, you don't have to hide this from me." She walked forward and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. He stifled a breath. How could she know? Had he mumbled something of his plans?

_God, how long had she been there?_

He waited for her to speak again, frozen half-holding a domino. "I know your struggling, but that's what me and Tom are here for. Just talk to us, ya know? It's nothing to be ashamed off." She spoke with such a warmth that Hal ached to bury his face into her ghostly arms and admit his guilt. Yet he held his tongue.

"Hal, do you need to go back in the chair for a bit? If it's getting a bit too much then you need to tell me now." Her tone was questioning and serious. She would just trust him to tell her that? Hal turned and met her worried eyes. He cupped her face gently and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Just a bit run-down. No need to worry Alex." He gave he a weary smile and trudged back to his room. She watched him leave, shocked from the display of affection then went to find Tom.

The Dominoes lay scattered on the table.

_Thanks for reading! Reviews would be greatly appreciated _

_xx_


	2. Alex

_Hi Again!_

_ Thank you to Funsoup and RunningInThePouringRain for the reviews-they were all the encouragement I needed! xx_

_ So I decided to write another chapter, I have a brief idea where this could be going but it all depends on you guys! Please review, it helps so much! _

_I started writing this in my history lesson hehe :) Hope you enjoy!_

_(*Oh and I couldn't find out what Alex's brothers were called so I improvised, if anyone does know I will gladly be corrected! I don't own any of these characters!) _

Alex was worried about Hal. She had tried to bring it up with Tom, but to voice her concerns would break his heart. I mean, just because Hal had kissed her didn't mean he was necessarily back on blood. But to allow that kind of thinking meant she would have to acknowledge her own feelings about him, and that was a door she had firmly shut after she had been dragged into this stupid mess. Being a ghost kind of put a dampener on a new relationship. Not that there was any relationship, just him being a stupid pillock and a guy about his feelings. About blood that was, not feelings about her. Unless he really did have feelings for her.

_Nah, it's impossible. I annoy the hell out of him._

But that kiss was playing on a loop in her head. She sighed and walked into the kitchen, cleaning would help take her mind off things_. _She pushed open the kitchen door and let out an exasperated groan. Of course the kitchen would be spotless, Hal had been avoiding her for the past two days. She grabbed a mug from the cupboard and switched on the kettle. Yeah, she couldn't drink it, but the warmth comforted her. It was a reminder of home, and hangovers and her stupid idiot brothers.

She had tried several times to teach *Ben, her youngest brother, how to make a half-decent cuppa but each time they had ended up with a cup of milk or something so strong even a builder would turn it down. She let out a snort at the memory. Everyone in the family had to endure those creations for a week, no one drank tea for a good while after that. She placed the teabag in the cup and steadied it with her other hand. She missed them so much.

_Maybe just a quick visit, just to check in with them._

She chided herself, check in with them? It's not like they could see her, besides what would she say, 'Hi, It's me, yeah I'm not gone, just got a bit involved with a vampire and now I'm a ghost. Surprise!' She absentmindedly poured the water into the cup. Maybe she could just go with her original plan and type a message on the computer? It would be cruel to put her brothers through that though, especially just after they had started to heal. It was too late now, she should just let them go. However should and would were very different words. She smiled. One trip, one message.

She put the kettle down and grabbed the fridge door, the handle slipped from her grasp and instead she head-butted the fridge.

_Ow._

Of course it hadn't actually hurt, nothing much hurt anymore. She had just misjudged the distance to the fridge handle. Even so, she should still be able to touch it. Oh God, was she fading away? But she hadn't found her door yet! To be blasted into nothingness would be the ultimate fail, she couldn't even do death properly. She clasped her hands together in worry, one of them was slick and clammy.

_Oh great, I thought being dead had some perks but no, I still sweat._

Then it all fell into place. She had accidently poured boiling water onto her hand when making the tea. It hadn't hurt at all. She slid down the kitchen wall, until she was sat on the floor. Alex let out a half cry, she couldn't see her brother's like this. She wasn't real to them anymore. Only other super naturals could see her. She was a danger to herself and those around her, she would have probably died again by now had she not already been a ghost. No way were her brothers getting mixed up in this world, it was too much for them to handle.

_Silly stupid Alex, why can't you just move on?_

Or was she just scared of who she would be moving on with. Tom was her friend, he would always be there for her and she was content with that, but Hal, she wanted so desperately for him to like her. He was always so polite, she knew he felt bad about her death and she hadn't really helped him with that guilt in the beginning. There was always that niggling thought in the back of her mind that their entire friendship was founded on pity. She had nowhere else to go and Hal had played a role in her death. Maybe he just wanted to make up for it. On top of that she was stuck in the clothes she wore for their date! A mean talk about constant reminders.

_Or he might actually like you._

The small voice in her head was very persistent. She crossed her arms over her legs and thought it over. It would certainly explain his erratic behaviour-he just had no idea how to love someone anymore.

_Whoa. Who mentioned the L word._

Her eyes widened ever so slightly. She swore if she still had a heart then it would be pounding in her chest. Her stomach fluttered as the realisation of what she had just concluded settled in. It didn't really matter if he loved her, or even remotely liked her; she wanted him. She wanted to take him in her arms and tell him everything. She wanted to be there for him, to be his rock through the cravings. She wanted to be there to tease him about his old-fashioned expressions and laugh with him at Tom's ridiculous new idea about renovations for the house. She wanted to watch him as he cleaned the bathtub repeatedly in his marigolds.

She smiled. No one else could make marigolds sexy. Alex looked up to the ceiling, that was all that separated them. She could be with him in the blink of an eye. She wanted to surprise him. She wanted to kiss him, to kiss every toned muscle on his stomach, to whisper all those things she'd never had the courage to say. She stood up, quivering slightly with excitement. She was so sure he felt this way about her too. She wanted him to feel this way about her.

She spun, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. In her haste she knocked the cup of tea from the counter. The delicate bone china fell in a graceful arch through the air then smashed on the hard, cold, kitchen floor. In a reflex reaction Alex stooped to clear it up, and knelt on the razor-sharp slivers of pottery. She expected pain but there was nothing. No ache, no dull throb, no trickle of blood from her knee. She felt nothing.

Nothing.

Would she even be able to feel a kiss? Her mind sought out the memory of his lips on her forehead. It was so brief. She couldn't remember how it felt, just the pure shock at the action. Oh silly, stupid Alex. Her eyes lost their shine. She continued clearing up the mess in silence. No thoughts. Nothing.

That's all she was. Nothing. She would never taste his kiss, never feel his breath on the back of her neck, never hear their heartbeats racing together. It was so pointless.

_Hal..._

Her vision blurred and her insides shook. She stifled the cry, she needed his arms around her. She needed to feel like more than just a shadow of the past. Alex let a single tear escape down her cheek. She didn't care anymore. She just needed to see him. She rent-a-ghosted upstairs.

His room was dark, she could barely make him out on the bed. She walked across the room, listening to his breathing. He murmured something but she couldn't make it out. He seemed to be having a bad dream. She came in very close, just a hair's breadth from his face.

"Oi Asshole, you awake?" she whispered softly. Her hand brushed his fringe from his face, lingering in his soft brown mop of hair. Satisfied that he wouldn't wake she leaned in and placed a single kiss on his head.

Nothing.

She stifled a cry of pain as her stomach twisted in agony. She couldn't feel it. The tears freely cascaded down her face. She sniffed slightly and wiped her nose. Alex withdrew before any of the salty droplets fell on his beautiful face. She silently crept to the door, but just before she rent-a-ghosted out she turned to face the bed again. He had rolled over in his sleep, seemingly more at peace.

With his back to her she allowed herself to say it. Just once.

"I love you."

And then she left to cry by herself somewhere he wouldn't hear.

_So what do you think? Might continue if people like...maybe. :)_

_Thank you for reading! Review, review, review!_

_Blackvelvet97 xx_


	3. Memories

_Hiya People, so this went a completely different direction then I had imagined. I have no idea if it worked or not but the words felt right when they were down. Thank you for the continued support and I look forward to writing the next chapter...if this goes down well :) (NOTE: bold italics is a flashback/dream. It feels stupid to write that but my lovely editor friend didn't get it XD) Let me know what you think! _

_xx_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters! _

Hal couldn't sleep.

He had spent the whole weekend cleaning, he started in the kitchen and worked his way outwards. He had successfully managed to avoid all awkward conversations with Alex about his weakness and had tried to forget about kissing her. Tried being the operative word. If anything, the somewhat childish analysis of her reaction to that brief kiss was keeping him sane. It completely overtook all other thoughts, keeping his darker self at bay. So far he had attributed her shocked expression to his complete lack of control in the living room. He needed to ignore the obvious if their friendship was to continue unhindered. She clearly still liked him. Her outrageous flirting and sidelong glances were enough to confirm Hal's guesses. What scared him most was how much he liked it, those sneaky words spoken just for him.

_I want her._

But that was just during the daytime, at night he physically ached for her. She always knew how to turn a dire situation into a joke, she critiqued every aspect of the front he presented to her and she knew how to wriggle around his walls. With Alex he felt safe, secure and...loved. It was then that Lord Harry would present himself. Hal's nights were filled with horrors of the past, screams and death. He could never share this with her, his light-hearted ghost. She still winced every time Tom went through the change, she thought his screams were horrific. She had heard nothing compared to his past.

Every night they would come to him. The visions of all he had done wrong. Hal cringed at the memories. He pushed the images out of his head and focussed on Alex. Her face, her clothes, the way she stamped her feet when she was annoyed. Her god-awful cups of tea, her clunky boots, her soft brown eyes. He relaxed more into the thought of her and fell into a restless sleep. Lord Harry snuck up from within and twisted the dreams. Dragging the past back to haunt him, growing stronger...

_**It was the Summer of 1857 and Lord Harry had consumed him, anyone that caught his eye would most likely be dead within the hour. Sins of the flesh were his speciality, he had never been more corrupt. The laws of the land were beneath him, he answered only to Mr Snow, who was content to allow Hal to do whatever he wished, so long as the evidence was disposed of. It would not be long before he could overthrow even he, the power and strength of London filled his belly. However Fergus, one of Hal's most loyal fledglings was beginning to bore him. He had recruited him only two years beforehand on a whim. It was an idiotic mistake. The man had no gusto, no imagination. Lord Harry liked to chase his victims down, allow them to think they might escape before draining them slowly, one bite at a time. In his game of cat and mouse there would only be one victor.**_

_**Fergus didn't appreciate the delicacy of fear tinged with hope, he had not yet refined his taste enough to tell the difference in the blood. He was barbaric and unsophisticated, choosing victims still in the flush of youth. He said their blood was sweeter, that it reminded him of his childhood. Hal didn't give a damn, he was even considering staking the savage. He was all for killing the infants, but simply ripping their throats out was so very tiresome. It was just predictable. The Victorians, as they called themselves at the time, had heard of the vampiric demons, they expected a bite. It was just too easy. Vampires naturally had heightened body strength- against a human brute force would always win, especially the half-grown ones. Lord Harry was among the elite, he aspired to reach new levels of decadence with the most extravagant kills. Brute force demeaned him. **_

_**They had taken to draining adolescents from the factories, seeking to reach new levels of depravity simply for the sheer joy of it. Hal hoped that allowing his companions sick little infatuation would help him to realise the fundamental truth of their longs lives, everything fades, emotions, desires, only then were you infinite. London ran amok with vampires, they drank without restraint and slaughtered thousands. The humans blamed diseases such as Cholera and Influenza, but there were many supernatural victims hidden in the mass graves. The physicians of that time turned a blind eye to mysterious deaths. The philosophy being ignore what you couldn't explain. Lord Harry grew sick of it.**_

_**One dark snowy night Hal had returned to their place of lodging to find a truly beautiful child sitting at the foot of his bed. Her fluffy white night-gown was stained with blood and she clung to a stuffed animal. He had watched her for a time, taking in her pearly white skin, the delicate doll-like hands and her blood-stained blonde ringlets. She had no heartbeat. Her eyes were completely black, and on the floor by the bed lay her dead mother. Poetry, he had called it. This is my version of extravagance, Fergus had said. **_

_**The rage was overwhelming. Humanity disgusted him, it was merely a means to feed and be quenched. But to turn one so young, to condemn her to the life of an immortality, enslaved to the devil before she had even lived was unforgivable. Lord Harry turned on Fergus and quelled the urge to reduce him to dust. Needless to say the child was destroyed near after, he and his recruit argued furiously and Hal had made his might known. The tiny smidgen of affection he held in regard for his companion prevented him from sending Fergus to hell with the babe.**_

_**He had left their room, in search of something to ease his mind. On that night alone 23 women and children died for Fergus's sins.**_

Hal woke with a start, the taste of their blood still echoing in his head. Without thinking he reached for the bedside cabinet and pulled open the draw. Within moments he had unscrewed the black bottle-top and was downing the precious liquid inside. The insatiable fire blazed within him and his heart pumped furiously.

It had begun.

_So does it work? What will happen with Alex and Hal now? ;)_

_Also...only two days until Being Human...yay! _

_Review's or general vamp talk are all very very welcome! _

_Blackvelvet97_

_xx_


	4. Outbursts

_Okay, so I just wanted to express this to people who will understand. Being Human is gone and I am feeling so upset. I got into it last series and now am at a loss as to what to do. I want to carry on and finish my story but I highly doubt that I will be able to write anymore literary works on this particular subject. I am so very miffed and slightly heartbroken. So apologies for any horrific endings for the characters in this but I am now a changed person. And yes, I know this is very melodramatic but I literally just watched it on catch-up, less than five minutes ago. Awesome soppy ending, but an ending nonetheless. May well cry after writing this chapter._

_Again I don't own Being Human or else it would still be on air, nor do I own the characters. If I did then I could have had sooo much fun. (Bit miffed Hal and Alex didn't even properly snog but I suppose it was soppy enough as it was. By the way, soppy is good. I love soppy!)_

_Thanks for reading thus far and pop a review in my inbox if you like. _

_(P.S-Sorry for such a long author's note, been a traumatic half hour :P)_

Alex stared dumb-founded at the screen.

"Your actually shitting me..." she turned to Tom and waved frantically in the general direction of the television screen. He shot her back a confused look, unsure of why she was over-reacting to such a small thing.

"Yeah, but Alex, I thought you would be happy like 'cause you can still touch and that. I mean, it don't necessarily mean that your fat..." he trailed off, scratching his head. The Wii board beeped under Alex's weight, informing her that for her height she was in danger of slipping into the overweight category. It suggested a regimented exercise routine and swapping unhealthy snacks for carrot sticks instead.

"You cheeky little git, I'll have you know that it's this damn padded bra and boots that are taking up all the weight!" She yelled in frustration and glared at Tom. "Besides, who listens to a machine anyways," she pouted and stepped off the electronic scales. Refusing to acknowledge the real reason for her irritation. Tom came forward and hastily swiped the controller from her hand before she threw it at the wall again.

_**Might throw it at your head soon sport. **_She thought dubiously as he fiddled around with the Wii remote. She sighed, the last couple of days had been mostly spent sobbing and wandering through the nearby woods. It had given her a sense of peace and purpose. She had resolved to never again cry about Hal or being a ghost. Or what being a ghost entailed for her relationship with Hal.

"It ain't that bad Alex, it bet if you took your boots off that'd be another three pounds at least, then you wouldn't have to worry," he smiled warmly, oblivious to the murky waters he had just dived into. She turned on him, a storm brewing in her eyes.

_**Sooo wrong day to have said that. **_

"What was that Tom?" she hissed at him. He fidgeted on the spot, twiddling the Wii strap between his thumbs. Tom had never been much good when it came to figuring out a ladies mood, he just knew that you must always be polite; Mcnair had taught him that. He coughed and looked anywhere but the at the angry female in the room.

"Well, old chum," she spat the words out, taking all her pent up humiliations of ghostdom out on Tom. Her voice reeked of sarcasm and she had inched closer to the young werewolf's face. He blanched ever so slightly, Alex could be well scary when she went for it. She waited a moment more as a teeny weeny bit of guilt rose in her chest, she knew exactly how to manipulate the situation, Tom really didn't deserve this but right now there were just some things that needed saying. Even if those things had absolutely nothing to do with the stupid Wii fit game that Tom had borrowed from a girl at the hotel.

_**NOPE. No moaning about death or Hal. **_

But she just couldn't stop. It was like a volcano of emotions had exploded in her chest and now Tom was knee deep in lava. She poked him in the chest.

"I said, What. Was. That." She placed emphasis on every word, cringing internally at the at how mean she was being to her most loyal friend. That was the scene that an unbalanced Hal walked in on, Tom all but cowering into the living room wall with an animalistic Alex stalking him, almost snarling. He paused at the door, briefly wondering what had caused the argument before realising this was the first he had seen of the ghost for several days.

"Alex, your back," he tried immensely hard not to seem too happy but just seeing her made him feel slightly better, with Alex he could manage this. Tom looked to Hal with grateful eyes as the ghost in question began to back away from him, a new opponent had entered the ring.

"Oh don't you give me that, you great lummox." She snapped at him.

_What..? Where did 'you can tell me anything' Alex go?_

Whilst Hal struggled to take in her change in mood Alex's fury piped up a notch.

_**How dare he stand there all handsome and not be in love with me. **_She forged ahead, determined to find some kind of truth. She needed to know or be condemned to another few weeks of wandering through the woods, she couldn't live like this.

"Betcha didn't even notice I was gone. Nah, too caught up sneaking around avoiding me, oh yeah, I noticed sunshine." The accompanying facial expressions were many and varied, but evidently she was extremely annoyed. Hal gripped the door frame a little harder, almost rendered speechless. It was an unvoiced agreement that he and Alex wouldn't speak about their feelings toward one another, to so openly point out that he had been avoiding her was most definitely leading them into unknown territory. He did not need change right now, he needed routine and order and boundaries. One mistake is forgivable, she couldn't be allowed to insight any more fire within him than she already had. Emotions were uncontrollable and people would get hurt.

_God, she's so beautiful when she's angry. _

They continued their silent staring match. Tom sensed the line Alex was toeing and crept along the wall, hoping to give them a bit of peace.

_**Haha, nope you're not getting out of this one Tommy boy. **_

"Oh no, you are staying right where you are," with a wave of her hand she had flung the boys onto the sofa and slammed all the doors in the living room, simultaneously the windows bolted and just for good measure she snapped her fingers to shut the blinds. "No way in, no way out. You are just gonna have to shut up and listen." She let out a heavy sigh and raked her fingers through her hair. This was proving to be more difficult than she had expected.

_**So much for not obsessing over Hal.**_

Hal landed on Tom's back, awkwardly sprawled across the sofa. Somehow, his hands were beneath Tom's stomach, effectively pinning him to his friend. It was the most uncomfortable bear hug he had ever been forced to partake in. To make matters worse Tom had tucked Duncan into his trouser waistline at the back and sed stake was now jutting into Hal's ribs, right below his heart. Hal swore and tried to wriggle free but all he achieved in doing was loosening Tom's trousers and pushing the stake into an even more uncomfortable position.

_500 years and never have I found myself in such a situation. Damn Alex. _

He tried in vain to gain some leverage using his feet against the arm of the couch, but somehow Tom had managed to wedge Hal's left leg beneath his own. Tom was a bulky lad and the dead weight of his leg was near impossible to move. He must have been knocked out in the fall.

"Christ Alex, what the hell are you doing?" Hal yelled in outrage, this behaviour was erratic and not at all befitting to her usual even temper. However due to his difficult position most of his outburst was lost in Tom's shirt. Alex looked down at the mumbling and burst out laughing. From her perspective Hal was fondling Tom as lovers would do, and she didn't even want to know what that lump was by Hal's stomach. Her eyes widened and she started to get breathless with laughter. Part of her mind rationalised that she shouldn't even need air, that was the cause beneath her upset in the first place, she was a ghost, ghosts don't feel, but the sight before her was too comical to allow entrance to the despair threatening to cloud her mind. She just sat on the wooden chair and laughed, hysteria set in and soon tears were marking her face again, only this time out of joy.

_**Explains a lot. **_She continued laughing, losing coherent thought.

Hal could still hear perfectly well even if his eyes were lost in Tom's t-shirt. She was having a wonderful time, it had even gotten to the point where he could no longer hear laughing, just the creak of wood as she rocked herself on the chair. So this was what joyful hysteria sounded like. Hal grunted in an effort to turn his head, prompting further giggles from the now mischievous ghost. She didn't realise the seriousness of the situation.

Hal had drunk blood. He knew that it would not be long before Lord Harry took over completely, what he had not counted on was how desperate the monster would be. This had been the longest period of time that he had hidden his darker self, and the levels of desperation from his alter ego had rocketed as soon as Alex had been introduced. She gave Hal a reason to fight. Lord Harry needed a way out and soon. Whilst Hal lay struggling against Tom's back he could hear the steady thrum of the werewolf's heartbeat. The provocative pulse of blood moving through the vein. It was enough to create a deep desire for the poisonous treasure.

Hal would never actively choose to bite a wolf, it would mean certain death, but Lord Harry was oh so desperate to be freed. Blood was blood. He had always longed for this dog to be put down, if his last act was to slay the beast then so be it. He was the one who had constricted his true self for so long, the kind words and motivation had sickened him. He resented the ghost, but at the same time he wanted her. But this imbecile was so very expendable.

_I shall end you. _

Hal's eyes went cold. He inhaled deeply, ignoring the overwhelming stench of dog and sought out the beautiful warmth of human blood. He found none.

_I am a fool to have even searched for the stain of humanity on him. We shall never be them. They are all we are not._

At that precise moment, Tom chose to roll over in his enforced slumber. Hal plummeted to the floor with great force, flattened by Tom's heavy body. The stake had settled itself in the crook of Hal's neck, thrown up in the sudden movement. Alex couldn't help but laugh harder, Hal was deadly pale and sweating. She always knew he had a thing about body contact but she had no idea that it was this bad.

_Oh God, what was I about to do? _Hal was rasping slightly, arms flailing.

_**Too funny, oh I wish he showed up on camera, that'd be one hell of a profile picture. **_She should help him. Maybe just a moment longer to enjoy the scenery. Alex froze suddenly.

"Please no, did I kill Tom?" she whispered partly to herself, realising Tom had not spoken through the whole affair. In an instant she had rent-a-ghosted beside the two men and grabbed Hal's arm. She then rent-a-ghosted him to the other side of the room.

Tom fell half a foot with a resounding thud on the floor. A mere second passed before she was back to her friend, shaking him vigorously by the shoulders.

_**No no no! **_

"Tom, Tom, wake up now! Come on now buddy. I didn't mean it really I was just peeved, ya know?" She came shook him again, still no reply.

On the other side of the room Hal was leaning against the wall in shock. He felt as though he had just been hit by a double-decker bus. He watched as Alex failed to hear Tom's deep breaths or steady heartbeat. There was no anger or rage towards either of them now but it had been so close. Alex attempted to give Tom mouth to mouth.

_NO!_

Hal surprised himself with a rush of jealousy, no one was allowed to kiss Alex. He leant forward, meaning to get her the hell away from Tom but a sharp pain in his shoulder told his body otherwise. Instead he called to her.

"Alex, Tom's alive, trust me I can hear his heartbeat from here" he spoke gently so not to betray the strong emotions bubbling beneath the surface. Lord Harry really wanted to destroy the dog. For a split second, so did Hal. Alex stopped slobbering over Tom's mouth and put her head to his chest. After a about a minute she sighed and sat up, she gave Hal a warm grin. He did not return it.

_**Oh shite.**_ Alex cleared her throat and licked her lips. The mere action reminded Hal of what she had just been doing and he gave her the coldest stare he could muster.

_**Yup, I really put my foot in it this time. **_Alex laughed nervously, this was going to be a long day.

_Thanks for reading, hoping to get another chapter out on Wednesday. Not sure how long this is going to be so bear with. Also, more apologies for emotional blurb up the top. I shall endeavour to be far less drama queenish next time._

_Reviews are always welcome!_

_Blackvelvet97_

_xx_


	5. Gameplan

_Hiya People,_

_I am so sorry for the extra long wait for this chapter, it's been a busy two weeks for me! (Exams...ugh) Good news though, half-term starts Friday so there should be another update around then. _

_Hope you enjoy! _

Hal watched her from the corner of the room, unmoved and intently focussed on the interactions between his two housemates. She sat there rubbing Tom's arm affectionately, waiting patiently for him to wake. The silence in the room had long since become uncomfortable and she was now busy avoiding his gaze. He just couldn't figure her out, well he pretended to not have a reasonably well deduced idea.

_There is little point in lying to myself._

Hal knew exactly what was going through her mind, and precisely why she had not broken the silence. She had grown frustrated with his lack of humanity. She wanted to be wooed remorselessly, to be chased like the beauty that she was, to be able to be fully appreciated by a man of intellect such as he. What she was left with was an emotionally stunted man masking a devious sociopath. It was so very unfair on her.

_**Life is unfair. Deal with it old friend. **_

_I am not your friend._

_**Bit touchy today aren't we dear?**_

Hal did not dignify his inner monster with an answer. It was madness to even sustain a conversation with himself yet somehow he found himself unable to stop the inner musings.

_**You believe us to be completely separate men, in which case it would be rude to ignore me.**_

_We are separate._

_**Not always. **_

Hal didn't like being reminded of the past. It was true that he could not blame Lord Harry for all of the horrors they had caused, there had been a time where there was no Hal or Lord Harry, simply a murderous vampire Henry Yorke who had given himself over to impulse. When had the boundaries of his personality become so distinct? He had no idea, centuries could easily change a person beyond recognition. All the while he had not taken his eyes of Alex. She felt his stare and shifted uncomfortably.

_**She and I will have a lot of fun.**_

_You're not going anywhere near her._

Hal shuddered. It was a blessing in disguise that Alex was already dead, some of the sordid thoughts that were running through his mind could have caused her unimaginable pain. The scenarios were inventive even by his standards. Alex briefly glanced up at him and grimaced. He was still staring at her hand on Tom's back. Hal let out a muted sigh and rolled his shoulders. A dull throb ran through his upper back, he was going to have to get Tom to re-break his shoulder for it to heal properly.

_Brilliant._

_**Should have just killed the Mutt.**_

_He is my friend, I don't want to hurt him._

Hal realised the stupidity of the statement. Less than ten minutes before he had felt such a loathing for the young werewolf it had united both his personality's. All for a girl. But Alex wasn't just a nameless female who happened to catch his eye. They were friends, one of his only friends. He watched her stand up and grab a pillow from the couch. She shuffled around and tried to lift Tom's head gently. He moaned slightly as she slid the cushion beneath his scars. Another pang of jealousy hit Hal head on. Why did Tom get all the attention? He too was injured, but she seemed to be avoiding him.

_**Not a nice feeling is it. Being ignored. Try 55 years of non-conversation. **_

This was getting slightly out of control. He'd always had the bad man lurking in the corners of his mind but never before had he been so blatant in his scheming. Surely this inner monologue with oneself was a sign of his insanity? He forced the thoughts out of his mind and focussed once again on Alex. She was looking at him with a worried expression.

"You okay?"

_**How sweet.**_

_Shut up._

Hal frantically searched for the appropriate response. There was no way she could realise the war that was waging inside between himself and the psychopath. He decided on mildly irritated.

"Simply waiting for Tom to wake so he can re-align my shoulder. What were you thinking-we're your friends Alex. Friends don't attack one another!" He huffed at the end of the sentence and raised an eyebrow, hoping to appear grounded yet annoyed.

"Erm...it's not what you think, I just needed..." she trailed off, and gestured around with her arms. She gave up searching for the right words and sighed. Hal felt awful for taking it out on her. She had been so patient. It was his fault she was feeling this way, Cutler had been his responsibility. He made him into the man that had murdered her.

She came close and placed her hand on his good shoulder. "Look I'm sorry, I get so bloody annoyed sometimes. Stupid freaking humans don't understand how damn lucky they are." She slid her hand down his chest and let it hang in the air. His heart thumped unevenly, she was so close to him, all he had to do was lean in an press their lips together.

_Bliss._

"Hal?" She questioned him, concern plastering her face again.

_**Just get on with it already.**_

"Alex" he breathed, barely above a whisper. Her eyes widened slightly and she cocked her head to the side.

"Yes?"

_**Oh for God's sake. **_

The change was immediate. Hal was plunged into darkness, locked in the back of his own mind in chains crafted for his alter ego. Lord Harry surfaced and relished in his control of the body. He ignored the sharp pains in his back.

_**Time to have a bit of fun.**_

He mentally threw a gag around angelic Hal and softened his gaze. Seeing as killing her wasn't an option he would do the next best thing. The murderous and half-starved vampire feigned emotion. Alex held her breath as Hal gently caressed her cheek. His eyes shone brightly, mirroring all of the warmth and yearning she had felt over the past month. Centuries of acting and charm flew back to him in seconds.

_**This will be easier than I thought.**_

Hal struggled not to laugh. He would break her spirit in half and burn the pieces. Why did he even like the girl? She was an open book. Easy on the eyes, sure, but nothing else to recommend her. Alex held her breath, frozen on the spot.

_**Your heart's mine.**_

To seal the deal he leant in until their face were merely a fingernail's breadth apart. He pretended to hesitate, playing the nervous lover. To his surprise she leaned in and finished the kiss. She pinned him against the wall and expressed all her pent up emotions, in one kiss she told him how she felt, how she'd always felt.

_**...**_

Coherent thought momentarily evaded him. A spark flamed in the darkest part of his soul, long since forgotten whilst in this mindset. He had to have her. Screw the consequences. No one henceforth would be allowed to touch this girl but him. His resolve wavered slightly- could he still destroy her? She broke the kiss and slid her arms around his waist, resting her head in the crook of his chin. He swallowed, unsure of himself for the first time. Hesitantly he placed a hand on her back and stroked it gently. She hummed her approval.

What was this he felt, an actual fondness for the bitch who'd kept him chained up for so long? She inspired his better self to fight to the end, she had been the prison guard at his cell. And he admired her for it. He had been vile to her and she had snapped back with retorts or poignant silence with far greater skill than most wordsmiths. The girl might be more than just a pretty face.

"Hal?" she murmured into his collarbone, sending delicious chills down his spine.

"Hmm?" he was still locked in deep thought over how to proceed. He was ever so good at manipulation, maybe he would play the simpering fool for a while longer. Just until he could figure out these damned mood swings.

_**Perhaps this will be the one to tame me.**_

He almost sniggered at the thought. It was absurd. He would steal her heart and she would end up broken beyond repair. It's just how these things went.

"I'm glad you're you." He could feel her lips curve into a smile.

_**Oh. You're in love with the idiot.**_

Of course he had known that. She loved his stupid routines, his quirks, his polite, old fashioned wording. But in the briefest moments where his true, wicked personality had bled through, those he been the times the hunger had appeared in her eyes. His hand stilled against her back. He wanted to punish her, to encase her in chains and leave her to rot somewhere. But should he destroy her?

"Hal?" He almost responded with a charming comment that would make her weak at the knees. He caught himself just in time, _her_ Hal was a fool who didn't speak that way to women.

"I'm glad too" he spoke with practised softness, concealing a vindictive edge to his voice.

Truth be told he didn't particularly know the answer. Feeling so confused was a new emotion for dark Hal, he promised himself he would hunt soon and regress for a time into his primal nature. No need for feelings there, just blood and death. His eyes darkened at the prospect and he smirked. Already his fangs had lengthened, God it had been too long.

Alex shifted in his arms and lifted her head. Quickly his regained composure, the long game had to be played carefully, no need to reveal his hand yet. He smiled warmly and kissed her forehead, noting how easily the action came to him, even in his angered state.

"Tom'll probably wake up soon" she mused, tightening her grip on his stomach.

_**The Hal you want would avoid touching you for weeks after this, should I play this part too?**_

She smiled at him once more and slipped from his embrace. He watched her scurry across the room to Tom. An idea sparked in his brain.

"Alex," he purred slightly, enough for her to fidget beneath his gaze. He suppressed a smirk, his sadistic side liked to see her squirm. She busied herself checking Tom over to avoid his fixed stare.

"Perhaps it would be best to hide this from," _**the filthy, repugnant mutt**_ "Tom, one shock a day is quite enough for one so" _**stupid **_",young." The sentence flowed freely from his mouth.

Alex stood up, her back to him. Her body language told him she was in deep thought. For exactly three seconds he feared he had offended her. The feeling departed as quickly as it came. He wanted to hurt her for what was becoming of him.

_**It's merely remnants of **__his__** feelings leaving my system.**_

Still with each second passing his anxiety grew. Eventually she turned around and gave him a pissed look.

"A few days alright? That's it. Otherwise I might think your wussing out on me." She narrowed her eyes slightly then smiled.

_**Just teasing.**_

Relief flooded him, it only irritated Lord Harry further. He would make Hal pay for these moronic feelings. He gave her his best devious smile back, there wouldn't be many opportunities to use it in the coming weeks. She winked just as Tom began to stir. She glanced over to him.

Lord Harry smirked.

_**Let the games begin. **_

_Drop me a review : )_

_Blackvelvet97_

_xx_


	6. The Hunt

_I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing reviews! Lord Harry did indeed get far too little airtime for my liking, so I er...elaborated somewhat. : ) Hope you like! I promise to get back to actual plot soon._

_(Btw wasn't Doctor who FAB!)_

She sprinted as fast as she could through the darkening streets of the city, twisting and turning through endless corridors of brick. Her hands were bruised and battered from high speed changes in direction. Her mouth tasted of sweat and blood, fear stuck to her like a cheap perfume.

The street lights flickered on, staging the scene for her final act. She sucked in a lungful of air and urged on her tired muscles. The road was bathed in a beautiful yellow glow, capturing the contours of her broken face . A light sheen of moisture soaked her size six clothes, she ran on.

The tarmac had been ripped in half by a frost the previous week, leaving a small scar of grey just beneath her left foot. It snagged her sodden trainer and she fell to the ground. Her blue jeans were mangled in the dirt. The girl screamed in pain as her knees snapped under the pressure of her light frame being thrown so carelessly.

The top layer of her skin had been scratched off at her wrists leaving her hands wet with blood. It stained the road she lay on. Pain scorched her insides, she writhed on the floor, locked in an endless silent cry. The streets blurred, iridescent road markings blazed like fireworks in her eyes. Her universe collapsed on itself leaving only agony ,affliction and terror.

She rolled onto her side and rasped heavily. The need to survive over-ruled the need to rest. She grasped at the gravel, fists clenching in an effort to anchor herself. The pain had weakened her to the point of death, but she was human. Giving up was against her core design. No matter how bad it got they struggled on, withstanding even the greatest of trials.

She used the last reserves of energy to shuffle onto her elbow. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her vision. She faintly made out the crunch of gravel, a slow steady footfall. Her heart soared, someone had heard her plea for help. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted, purple dots, blood and a hazy shadow was all she saw.

"Help me" she reached out. Her fingers touched wrinkled leather boots and laces. They searched and trembled up the figures leg and found soft jeans shaped by strong muscles. A thick black coat brushed her hand as the individual bent down and placed a single finger against her lips.

"Tut tut, I thought we'd already established the rules. You are not allowed to ask anyone else for assistance in our little game." He spoke softly and she whimpered. The man smirked, leant forward and sniffed her hair. It was grimy, bloodstained and completely drenched in sweat. He released a deep contented sigh. Her vision cleared and she took in the form of her attacker.

He had approached her two hours previously in a small bistro, close to the main train station. The handsome man had been utterly charming and suave, offering to buy her a drink, asking about her life. He stared her down with his hazelnut eyes and short brawn floppy hair. His smile spoke a thousand words, singing of stars and French kissing and long gorgeous walks along the beach. The trap was so beautifully devious- the perfect gentleman; a devil in disguise.

The blushing brunette played along, marvelling at her luck. She'd finally met the man of her dreams. They had kissed a little, then he had guided her out into the city, whispering that his abode was mere streets away, and of the pleasantries that would ensue.

She had laughed at him, he spoke like a Victorian gentlemen. He smiled and had asked her whether it pleased her. They had continued in this flirtatious manner for a few streets further, until without cause he had turned and asked whether she knew where she was. His eyes were warm and questioning. She had smiled, surely you know where your flat is she had said.

His whole persona changed. He slapped her hard across the face and she reeled back in shock. He let out a feral snarl and long fangs grew in his monstrous mouth. His face contorted in an animalistic ecstasy, he had lunged at her and pulled her tiny weight close to him. For a moment, his eyes returned to their beautiful hazel.

But the monster had not left.

Fear me he snarled. She had shrieked and screamed, anyone, someone. Nobody came. He quickly explained the rules, basking on the edge of a savage liberty. You shall run from me, you cannot ask anyone for help, if you are still breathing come morning light I might let you live. She knew this was no joke.

He dropped her to the ground and began counting down from ten in a lethal tone, his eyes drilled into her. She begged him, asked where the endearing man she had met hours ago went. He continued counting down. She had crawled at his feet, never once doubting what the creature before her could do, yet unable to resign herself to her fate. His eyes darkened and he kicked her viciously in the ribs, causing her to fall backward and splutter crimson on the concrete.

The vampire leant down, his finger danced along the damp ground, he lazily dragged it across his lips. His tongue darted out and tasted the copper of her blood. She gasped and struggled to her feet, he seemed lost in the sensations.

She had turned and fled, the beast mere minutes behind.

Now she lay again at his feet, begging without words for her life. Hal gently caressed her cheek and smiled into her watery eyes.

"Not bad I have to say, you lasted longer than most." In desperation she slid to the side of his feet and crawled along the gravel in a final plea to escape. He watched her with disdain and sighed. Gently he lifted her, his hands beneath her shoulders, and pulled her to her feet. Her back rested against his chest, her frantic heart thrumming out a samba beat.

"Pl...please don't" his hand slipped around and covered her trembling lips. Hal moved closer and held her for a while, listening to the delicate melody of her erratic pulse.

"Hush lovely one" he murmured into the silky column of her neck. Tenderly he brushed her matted hair from the side of her head and lowered his lips to the softness of her. She trembled beneath his wicked touch.

Slowly he felt the beast claw its way to the surface; the oncoming storm. He stood and let its majesty envelop him, hunger and death and pure vengeance. It screamed in anger at having been forced to lay dormant for so long. Its thirst was insufferable, the transition of teeth through her delicate skin was barely noticed. It drank and drained the living vessel with which it had been presented. She had no time to even scream.

When the thirst had been partly quenched the primal beast submerged into the vampires soul, content with its fill for now. Hal opened his eyes and gasped, memories of the recent heavenly nectar running down his throat made him hum with delight. He could still taste her on his lips. With a casual grace he used the sleeve of his black coat to wipe most of blood from his face.

Lord Harry rocked back on his heels.

_**Simply sublime.**_

He appraised the scene, the girl lay dead at his feet, pale and with a huge chunk of flesh ripped from her neck. He looked at his shirt and laughed maniacally. It had started the night grey, and now was black with blood.

_**God it's been too long.**_

He rolled the corpse over with his foot and looked at its face. After a moment he decided it was nothing special, she had been rather plain. Hal stepped over the dead girl and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He selected the only number in the idiot's phonebook that was of any use to him.

After a single cycle of the dial tone it was answered.

"Mr Yorke? What can I do for you?" Hal smirked, and picked at his fingernails.

"Mr Rook, triangulate my location, I have a job for you." He hummed a tune from the 20's as the man in grey tapped keys on his computer.

"Oh and Mr Rook?" he sang, still high from his recent feed.

"Yes?" he replied, monotone. The faint tapping stopped briefly.

"I need new clothes, you know what I like" he span round, shrugging off his coat as he went. "Something else, there's too much blood on this phone, get me a new one. Oh and not one of those shit ones, something smart." Hal was unsure whether this would work, he needed Rook for his grand scheme, but he didn't need the man, he needed an unwavering loyal servant.

_**There's always Plan B.**_

Hal looked around the street, the nearest heartbeat was two roads away. He smirked again, the moon broke through the clouds and cast splinters of light across the dusty murder scene. The air was quiet and the nearby houses were derelict and broken. She had been so close to life.

His future now lay in the hands of a human. A disgusting stupid ape who had crawled up from the dirt lying on the ocean floor. Two choices; play the long game or be the godless demon to bring hell back to earth, starting on this tiny island.

_**Godless demon bathed in the blood of thousands, perhaps I should start writing poetry... again.**_

"Mr Rook, I'm waiting." He sang once more, taunting the man, pushing him, snapping him.

"A car is on its way Mr Yorke."

"Excellent." Hal snapped the phone shut and slid it across the road.

_**Oh, this will be fabulous.**_

The black sedan pulled up several feet away from the dead body. Lord Harry strolled over to the door, it slid open to allow him passage. He stepped inside and allowed the men in grey to do their work.

The bloody phone lay unnoticed on the charcoal tarmac, it buzzed once.

_Hey where are you? Tom's keeps texting me from the Hotel about your shoulder. We need to talk Hal._

_-AM_

Lord Harry relaxed into the leather of the car, he was only brushing the blood away for her.

_Next one should be out Sunday!_

_Reviews most welcome._

_Blackvelvet97_

_xx_


	7. Changes

Hello! So I got the two new guest reviews and felt incredibly guilty for not updating this story. I do intend to continue it-I swear! But I still have to balance school work with writing. *excuses* Anyhow, I'm going to update my other story next but the wait for this one depends on which gets the most interest, (reviews/follows), I'll continue with whichever seems more popular.

Enjoy!

Hal sat behind the desk and twirled a pen lavishly through his fingers. He had thus far avoided discussing anything with Alex and their pet dog. She had been incredibly annoyed once he had alerted her to the misplacement of the communication device, somewhat less so when he wrote her a love letter the day after in the form of a typical Shakespearean sonnet. She knew angel Hal would never have done such a thing, she knew there was a change and he found it exhilarating. Lord Harry was dancing along the edges of deceit, hinting only to her that good Hal had taken a vacation. He near constantly wondered when she would figure it out, and then who she would choose.

_**Merely for experimental purposes of course.**_

His alter ego pleaded and begged to let her go, not to harm the ghost and to leave her dead heart intact. It only made him increase the toying and flirting. The pup remained ignorant as ever, he stank the house out and Hal had avoided him since the animal had dared try to help him with his injured shoulder.

_**What have we been reduced to old friend? Accepting help from a Lycan. How utterly disgusting.**_

He pulled at the crisp white shirt and wrinkled his nose. Everything he owned now smelt like wet dog, he have to find a way of putting the mutt down. Then possibly set about disinfecting the whole house, or better yet just make Rook find him more suitable accommodation. Without the dog he would be Alex's sole anchor and therefore moving with her would be far easier. The thought was strong and firm in his mind.

_**Damn this woman!**_

He had no idea when the idea of living without her became so completely wrong. As it was he could easily kill legions of furious vampires and untamed wolves alike for simply looking at her. Never mind the human population, it was a blessing only the clairvoyants could see her as he had no patience for hormonal males challenging claims to what was clearly his.

_**My **__**Alex.**_

He lounged across the desk and smirked. It had a certain ring to it. She was easily worth his time, the ghost who found power in emotion. The meltdown and sofa incident proved that beyond a doubt. How Alex had managed to throw him with such accuracy was a mystery. He would have to push her and see how far her gift of poltergeisting went. This was why he had upped the romance and mystery, she seemed to like being powerless and mercilessly wooed. Obviously her sudden connection with this plane of existance had sprouted from somewhere, he would figure it out and use it. Harry liked the new element of her abilities as a ghost, it would serve him well in the times to come. It was the only reason he let himself manipulate her so physically. The only reason.

_**Her power is unique and soon she will do whatsoever I ask of her. **_

Tom walked past Hal at the desk and smiled warmly. He was carrying new bed linen for the upper rooms, freshly washed yet already contaminated with his wolfy stench. Hal mostly ignored him at work but this time gave a curt nod. The boy still looked crestfallen as he walked away, Hal smiled. Anything that made the beast's life miserable worked for him. He did not naturally belittle himself before lower creatures and merely allowing the wolf's presence was hardship enough. Alex had given him a big speech yesterday after the love letter about being friendlier to Tom or else she would tell him about us.

_**I wonder how she would define us. Idiot Hal may belong to her, but I do not. I cannot be hers. She would never choose me. **_

It bothered him. Knowing that she would always choose clean Hal, the Hal who didn't forced labour was necessary to maintain the illusion of control. He could so easily execute his plan without this, to just become the tyrant that even his own kind feared. The man that murdered her had been coached by him, her death was on him. Yet she forgave. Why did she forgive? Lord Harry would destroy all things Hal loved, he would destroy her and crush her heart. She knew he would hurt her, that good Hal would slip. Yet she forgave. Why did she forgive? He needed to know.

But to find the answers Alex needed to believe the lies, and anyone with even the slightest clue about deception knows the best lies are merely the truth twisted. So he got through the tiresome working day and used it to lie. Harry had pushed her into the wall the night before and attached her neck with tiny needy kisses. It was entirely premeditated and designed to push her feelings into a freefall. The plan was to blame work, bloodlust and being all high and mighty by not succumbing to it, to say somehow kissing her made it all make her believe that by loving her he wouldn't kill, he would defeat the bloodlust and spend his desperation on her, instead using it as passion. It was a pack of carefully spun lies.

The small kisses should have been the limit and he had planned to stop once she finally pushed him off. He would make her open up and she would answer his questions, then she would be obliterated.

But her little gasp undid him. Her mouth had been by his ear and he heard that small noise with the utmost clarity. Lord Harry was no lovestruck fool, he simply took what he wanted, wooing the endless stream of women as they came. He didn't get attached, he didn't crave any specific girl. But by Gods, that small breath made him weak at the knees.

_**She made me fragile.**_

Hal shook his head in disgust at the memory. What was wrong with him? The way he had acted was unacceptable. He was an ageless vampire with exceptional taste, he did not let his hormones control his actions. The mornic baphoon currently shackled in his brain must have infected him. She was his destroy, not to cherish. Lord Harry leant back in his chair and spun on it manically for a moment, trying to push the thoughs of her taste from his head. Everything was blurring. His plan was getting more extravagant each day, the performance more complicated. He hit his head and dragged a hand down his face. The simpering woman who worshipped him at work giggled at his escapades.

_**You ugly fool, a woman of your age should not produce such an imbecilic noise. Call yourself the manager? I could most likely ask you to strip naked on this seat and you would comply.**_

A glare of pure menace crept across his face and he stopped swinging on the chair. He had always thought that if you were to be overseeing an operation then you were to demand respect as such. This middle aged female was failing in a spectacular fashion. Each day from Hal's arrival the lipstick became more pronounced and the sickly odour of her perfume more profound. She practically screamed 'I want you to notice me' in completely the wrong way. She tugged at her skirt subconsciously and frowned. He tried rearranging his features but the human looked as though she was going to approach and reprimand him. He was losing it with thoughts of the ghost. Hal had a choice, kill her or continue the deteriorating performance.

_**The game hasn't even got going yet.**_

She tottered up to him, hips swaying in the most ridiculous fashion.

"Hal?" the nasal voice irritated him even more than her putrid odour. He plastered on a gracious smile and stood up to address her.

"Yes." He spoke in a low tone, gravely and seductive. His eyes drilled into her own creating an intense look of passion, in reality he was bored stiff and still hadn't the faintest idea of what the dullards name was. He should just kill her. It would be simpler. But he wanted answers from Alex and Alex didn't want him. She wanted her Hal, the one who would not impale the woman's eyeball with the still tightly gripped pen in his left hand. However none of this was portrayed in his expression and the pouting had the intended effect.

"Well, I was, er, just going to say...don't play on the chairs and when you look at me..." she continued stuttering and devoured his face with her eyes. He should kill her for daring to look upon him with such ferocity and possessiveness. No one owned him. No one would ever call him their own. She stuck out her chest a bit further while he nodded in all the right places. Would she still beg for his attention if she knew his true nature? He thought not. No one would want that. Eventually she left and he sat down again.

_**What a boring bitch.**_

This hotel had always been rather dull and distinctly lacking in any artful interior design. Red and white? Honestly at least the infernal chip shop did not pretend to be something it wasn't. This place had such misplaced notions of class it almost made him giddy with amusement. Really, who would be proud to work in a three star establishment?

He drummed a rhythm on the check-in board with his long fingers and let out a small sigh. Already his mask of angelic Hal was slipping. Who knew what might happen tonight when he was to confront the mutt. All this loss of control was almost unnerving. He did not fear, he was the one out of the inhabitants of this body to be feared. Why then was his heart pounding at the thought of her?

Unbidden the memory resumed its path through his consciousness, to his surprise he welcomed it. Her breath, made cold by her death had tickled his throat. He adored death, it didn't make him nervous, in fact he quite enjoyed the reminder of her untimely demise. It gave him power. She was dead. She was invisible. She was his. Alex the ghost. His ghost. Those had been his only coherent thoughts.

_**My **__**ghost.**_

It seemed wrong on so many levels, his whole being had been invaded by her burning cold. It felt like a fresh kill, the moment the soul leaves the body and the blood chills. The sadistic side of him loved it. Nature itself was warning him not to involve himself with her and he had defied it. His body hadn't numbed, it had come alive. The burning chill had coarsed through his veins and provoked his vampiric nature to revel in pure delight. The rush of the slaughter was nought compared to that unholy pleasure.

That gasp was more than breath though, it conveyed her want. She lusted after him and her moan was all the invitation he needed. All plans were dismissed, all cunning schemes buried. She had wanted him. Lord Harry lost it completely.

_**Did I truly like that feeling? **_

He had actually forgotten. In that moment, that gasp, her body tensed beneath his in a damp tacky flat they called home, his mind went blank. He wanted her to moan. He wanted to possess her, all feelings after their kiss the day before had intensified. He stopped pretending.

The dark Hal consumed her. He had held her against the wall roughly and ran his fingers through her hair. The ice cold spiked and ran down his arm from the movement. He yelped into her neck and kissed harder, his fingers entangled in her hair and his body fighting not to tremble. He needed more. His mouth had clamped to her own in a sudden desperation, forcing her to yield. They had kissed and she had let him destroy her. It was a kiss that rivaled all those in previous lifetimes. He reveled in her lips like she was oxegyen to his suffocating lungs, like she was the first summer sun breaking his winter age, like cool water in his desert of thirst. Those passions were not of a bumbling fool who had hidden in the Cafe. He was Lord Harry; commander of the undead, the nightmare you would never wake up from, the angry God. And he had wanted her.

They had kissed until her lips were swollen from the rough massage, it seemed even the dead could become breathless. He found it amusing that the most passion she would recieve in her life was when she was no longer living. He ravished her and let his hunger be known. He still could feel the light touch of her cold hands tracing his arm, his hand had clawed into her hip, securing her to him. He was not gentle nor kind.

_**She gave in to me.**_

She had gasped as he nipped her lips and sighed when his tongue met hers. The sounds had made him yearn for more contact. He had pushed harder against her, and once again forced her mouth to yield to his. Lord Harry wanted to mark her, to own her. She was his.

Unfortunately the hound had made a racket upstairs prompting his ghost to push him away with considerable force. His had simply leaned in and claimed her lips once more. Only that time he made it a soft kiss, his lips had danced lightly across hers, teasing and whispering sweet words of apology. Her breath had hitched as he cupped her face and gently kissed her goodnight. He had left her by the door, staring at him in open shock.

_**Not the only one who was shocked dear.**_

He wondered now whether she would figure it out. Boring Hal would never touch her like that, he had been strangly quiet in his bonds as the event had happened. Harry cursed himself inwardly, perhaps that was why he had been soft with her, why he had needed her so profusely. Good Hal had gotten control. He rolled his eyes and swept his hand through his hair in desperation. Lying would do him no good, sentiment was weakness but to refuse to acknowledge one's weaknesses led to downfall.

_**Oh Alex, ma Cherie. What am I to do with you?**_

An old lady approached the desk tutting, and broke a particularly vivid fantasy involving leather chokers and an iron knife. There were ways to hurt ghosts. Perhaps he wanted to hurt her more than kiss her. The elderly woman chattered on about afternoon tea. Merely talking to the inferior beings who dared disturb him with their idol prattle was punishment enough, but to then respond without ripping their throats out was proving to be beyond diffcult. He entertained himself with thoughts of Alex as he dealt with the woman. She stank of sweat and whiskey. Sometimes heightened senses did not help at all.

Eventually she too left. Tom had dealt with her whilst Hal pretended he was going to bite her. Honestly he hoped good Hal would have some taste when it came to blood donors, this woman smelt like she hadn't washed in a week.

Left alone to his thoughts Harry went over the devious plan and its kinks in his head. Things were progressing nicely. Mr Rook had been particularly vigilant and forthcoming in regards to the now gorgeously crafted plan for world domination. Unfortunately someone appeared to be pulling strings from the shadows, backing Hal into a corner. There could only be so many mysterious disappearances before someone started noticing, Lord Harry's death count did not equate to half of the recent 'suicides.' As to the plan, well it needed a certain flair and he wasn't quite ready for the rest of the miserable vampire population to realise his presence. No, blood bags would have to do for now.

_**Damn this puppeteer, he is simply ruining everything.**_

Too much attention had been directed towards Barry. Even the simple minded idiots could work out that something was amiss. All it took would be for a certain influential vampire, _**Hetty will be taken care of**_, to notice the mark of the ravenous beast. His kills were getting more and more violent. The beast seemed to enjoy the glorious bloodshed. He and his appetite had yet to catch up, 50 years of abstinence followed by copious amounts of sinning could do that to a man.

_**Hal Old boy, do you remember the taste of their blood?**_

He lifted the mental gag for a moment, wanting an answer from the tortured man.

_Don't do this. The world can't know us. Stop now and leave Alex alone. Please, I beg of you._

_**Now where's the fun in that? I will destroy everything and laugh, can't you just taste it my friend. Sheer bliss, blood and death. **_

_She will destroy you first._

Harry frantically threw the mental block back up. He didn't need someone repeating what he already knew.

Next Chapter will be an Alex one and shall explain things from her perspective (what was in that poem he wrote her? ;) )

Drop me a review you wonderful people. It gives me purpose in life XD

Blackvelvet97

Xx


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